DIY Slow Cooker Authentic Minestrone Soup

We're still in soup season even if the weather has turned beautiful and mild here in Northern California. We like soups packed with organic veggies and lots of flavor. We've been thinking about minestrone for awhile and finally got our recipe together to make it in our slow cooker. It turned out delicious, almost like a stew. We added lots of extra vegetables to it then served it with Parmesan cheese. A comfort meal for sure!

SERVES:               4-5
PREP TIME:        15 - 20 minutes
COOK TIME:         4 hours on slow cooker high

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can whole tomatoes (28 ounce), squashed by hand with half the juice
1 can cannellini beans (15 ounce)
1 bunch organic carrots, sliced 
1 white or yellow onion, diced
2 zucchini, sliced
5 ounce box or organic spinach
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
3-4 sprigs of fresh basil, slightly chopped
3 bay leaves
10 ounces or orecchiette pasta (or rotini or bow tie)
Dash of salt, red pepper flakes and fresh ground pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish

PREPARATION:
1. Cut all the vegetables except the spinach. Add the tomatoes, onion, beans, celery and carrots to the slow cooker. 
2. Add the chicken broth, thyme, sage, bay leaves, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper. Cook on low for 4 hours.
3. One hour before the soup is done, add the pasta and zucchini. Thirty minutes later, add the spinach and basil. Add one cup of very hot water. 

NOTE: Depending upon the pasta you use, you may want to add more chicken broth. The orecchiette pasta we used soaked up a lot of moisture and we added chicken broth to the right consistency!

SERVING:
Serve the soup in warmed bowls and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Bon appetit,
Tom and Anita

Over 300 tasty recipes from around the world on our blog.

DIY Slow Cooker Authentic Minestrone Soup

Bagikan Artikel ini